In recent years, electric powered vehicles such as an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and the like are attracting attention as environmentally friendly vehicles. These electric powered vehicles each include an electric motor that generates vehicle driving force, and a power storage device that stores electric power supplied to the electric motor. A hybrid vehicle additionally includes an internal combustion engine together with an electric motor as a power source, and a fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell as a DC power supply for driving the vehicle.
To extend the mileage that an electric powered vehicle can run with electric power of a power storage device, it is necessary to mount a plurality of power storage devices on the vehicle to achieve an increased capacity. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-131077 (PTD 1) and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-210840 (PTD 2), for example, each disclose the configuration of a vehicle on which a plurality of power storage devices (batteries) are mounted.
PTD 1, in particular, describes the configuration of a power supply apparatus for a vehicle that can reduce loss in charging at the time of charging the plurality of power storage devices from a power supply external to the vehicle.
PTD 2 describes a configuration that can achieve an increased torque when required, by selecting between a parallel connection and a series connection of the plurality of batteries without using a boost converter.